The Next Lab at Arizona State University serves as a high-energy innovation studio where students explore emerging technologies and develop future-ready skills. While the lab’s flexible layout is essential for collaboration, the constant sensory intensity of a dynamic studio can be difficult to sustain over long periods.
To address this, the Next Lab integrated Framery smart pods to add choice to the environment, bridging the gap between the energy of a collaborative hub and the privacy needed to support individual focus for both students and faculty alike.
“We added Framery smart pods to introduce choice within our active learning environment. We like to say the pod ‘lets you be quiet in a noisy room or be noisy in a quiet one.”
Dan Munnerley
Executive Director | Next Lab at ASU
Distraction-free spaces for learning
ASU’s Next Lab is a multi-use space, designed to be reconfigured for events, research sessions, and collaborative work, while simultaneously supporting the daily needs of staff and students. While popular with staff and students, the noise levels in intentionally dynamic space made it difficult to focus or study.
To resolve this, ASU integrated Framery Four smart pods to provide soundproof spaces that reduce disruption and improve focus, creating valuable private spaces for students and staff without the costs and burden of renovating the Next Lab.
“The impact of Framery smart pods on campus was immediate. Students use them for focused work, private conversations, mentoring sessions, and internship interviews. And staff rely on them for confidential discussions and deep concentration.”
Dan Munnerley
Executive Director | Next Lab at ASU
Equitable support for neurodiversity
Like many learning environments, the flexibility and open-concept of the Next Lab created a great space for high-energy collaboration, but students and faculty who identify as neurodivergent reported that they found the sensory intensity overwhelming. ASU recognized the opportunity to make the Next Lab more inclusive by offering Framery pods to provide sensory-friendly retreats without having to leave the community of the lab.
With adjustable lighting and airflow, Framery pods allow neurodiverse students individuals to tailor the space to their specific needs, supporting sensory regulation and significantly minimizing cognitive load.
“Framery smart pods have had a meaningful impact on our students’ ability to regulate their environment while remaining connected to the community.”
Dan Munnerley
Executive Director | Next Lab at ASU
Agile and inclusive campus
As a leader in education, Arizona State University values inclusion and adaptability to keep pace with evolving student needs. Framery smart pods are a cost-effective way to create adaptable, agile learning environments that support the changing needs of education.
“As an educational institution, we value inclusion, adaptability, and student wellbeing. Framery smart pods align directly with those values, and signal that we are willing to design environments around diverse human needs.”
Dan Munnerley
Executive Director | Next Lab at ASU
Integrating Framery on campus has helped ASU improve space utilization and boost institutional appeal by projecting a long-standing commitment to student well-being through a campus environment that evolves alongside its students.
Investing in the future of learning
In their mission to foster innovation and student success, the Next Lab at ASU remains committed to prioritizing an environment that adapts to its users. By integrating Framery smart pods, they have ensured their flexible studio space remains a high-performance tool that balances collaborative energy with the necessity of individual focus.
With Framery, ASU is providing private spaces that support individual growth, prioritize student equity, and elevate the campus experience.
Next Lab at ASU
The Next Lab at Arizona State University is a collaborative innovation hub focused on emerging technologies and future-ready skills. Serving as a pilot for modern pedagogical environments, the lab prioritizes student success through an inclusive, neuro-responsive design. The dynamic studio balances flexible infrastructure for high-energy collaboration with dedicated private zones for mentoring, interviews, and deep focus.
50
Student Associates
5
Full-time Staff
158,000
Total Students at ASU
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